"Sliver"

Most Read

Though Nirvana only released three albums, they left behind a sizable recorded legacy for such a young band. With B-sides, compilation tracks, non-album singles, all types of live recordings, and a wealth of demos for songs that for whatever reason didn't make the cut, Geffen Records has had an easy time finding enough material to fill a nice big box set and multi-disc super-deluxe reissues of Nevermind and In Utero.

Most of the material is garbage, partly because songs usually don't make it past demo form for a reason, and partly because before he put his mind to being a supremely huge pop star, Kurt Cobain was a dirtbag stoner Melvins freak concentrating on making the most antisocial sludge rock he could. But they were a freakishly good band, so even their bottom-shelf material is better than most groups' best, and some of the tracks that never made it to LP are among their best works. Here are ten of them.

"Sliver"

Recorded in just an hour during a break in a recording session by fellow Seattle grunge scenesters TAD (who were actually the bigger band at the time) and using their gear, "Sliver" has a frantic edge that fits in nicely with its crackling energy. It's long been a fan favorite, and judging by the fact that it never left rotation on their set lists, it seems to have been a favorite of the band's as well.

"You Know You're Right"

Recorded at Nirvana's final studio session and previously only known through one bootlegged live performance and a shaky cover on Hole's MTV Unplugged, "You Know You're Right" was a revelation when it appeared on the band's eponymous 2002 best-of: three-and-a-half minutes of bristling aggression and razor-wire hooks that helped breathe life back into Nirvana's reputation and alternative rock in general.

"Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam"

Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York was a high water mark for '90s rock, and every song from their performance is a gem. So why not go with the one where Krist Novoselic plays the accordion?

"Aneurysm"

The B-side to "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and so for millions and millions of people it was the second Nirvana song they ever heard.

"Return of the Rat"

A cover of a classic ripper by Portland punk icons the Wipers with a barebones structure and taut performance that highlights Kurt's indebtedness to Pacific Northwest garage rock.

"Molly's Lips"

Originally recorded by Kurt's favorite band, the Vaselines, "Molly's Lips" captured the goofy side of Nirvana that often got lost in all the angst and "voice of a generation" buzz.

"Pennyroyal Tea" (Scott Litt mix)

Technically this version of the In Utero deep cut appeared on some copies of the album — specifically the ones sold at Wal-Mart with the famously censored cover — but most people know the song through the more widely distributed Steve Albini mix. R.E.M. producer Scott Litt gives it a little extra punch missing from Albini's version.

"Spank Thru"

Originally released on the 1988 Sub Pop 200 compilation — a snapshot of the Seattle scene before the grunge rush that also included cuts by Soundgarden, Mudhoney, the Screaming Trees, and Pearl Jam predecessor Green River — "Spank Thru" finds Kurt indulging a lifelong love of '70s cock rock that he wasn't always proud of.

"Marigold"

The only Nirvana song that Kurt didn't play on, Dave Grohl's lilting "Marigold" was the surprisingly tender B-side to "Heart-Shaped Box."

"Sappy"

Kurt tinkered with this churning melodic rocker for years, recording several different demo versions over the course of writing both Bleach and Nevermind before it was finally unceremoniously dumped onto the end of the 1993 charity compilation No Alternative as an uncredited secret track.